CHAPTER 82: A new plan

　　The morning sun filtered through the blinds of the police station as officers poured over reports and CCTV footage from the night before. The search for Isabelle and Ella had entered a frustrating stalemate. The stolen car was found abandoned in a wooded area but there was no sign of the two women anywhere. No traces, no belongings left behind. It was as if they had simply vanished.

　　Detective Harris, the lead investigator on the case, stood with his arms crossed, staring at the grainy footage from the nearby CCTV cameras.

　　"How can two people just disappear like that?" he muttered, rubbing his temple. "There’s no way they got out of the city without someone noticing."

　　Another officer, Sergeant Davis, flipped through a stack of papers.

　　"We’ve checked every possible route. The airports, bus stations and train depots have all been on high alert. There’s no way they’ve left the country by any legal means."